The Sun. — London, England, 1810-10-04 00:00:00

.~_-~~. RIO DE LA PLAZA. OBSERVATIONS OF THE JUNTA ON B:SIUGGLING. :lin ENOS AYRES, JULY 1 I.—Nothing is better cal cul,ted to su;.po4l the dignity of a Government than . firmneps in repressing abuses which had been s3ncti oti• t 1 by the prattiee of many year , . Contraband trade, which haw been the ruin of many states, was carried on in this City :with that notoriety, that it • seemed to have It's' all its deformity . ; the. risk that is tlndereaken is calculated from the ,ditEculties that ar •o he ercorre, atid the meichant is compelled in this-manner-to take into his estimates tt'e situation et' e to whi h tie ti3d4 s, as well as the pe-; taltv _itncr , sed u.ion the introduction ut clandestine • inerchandize. With what sh,ime will the memory of ttio e Governments L•e recollected, who comae . nince the Criminal f ,roi.ensities of man, who know no other imports than contrab:ind, which they Oro te6l ! Eternal disgrace attend those mercenary men, who, inserisible.to.honour. and the general good of • the State, have ruined conitnerct-, injured the cus tom-, and destroyed the seeds of our felicity. • The English merchant who comes to these re gions, inclined to maintain the honour and integrity which cnaracterise his nation, finds himstit con). petled to ,smuggle,,because he finds that legitimate • trade does nut (net t that rncoutagernent which it fot Me! ly did.. A compliance with the laws enhances the price of his got,os, and while he is triable to gain a .maik-t lor his goods, he loses titc..ctintidence of his principals it) London, fur the great charges he neces sarily incurs in his negociations; lie is therefore un dor a necess;ty of imitating the suluggier, or remain ing a grief ed speztator of the advantages that are ' obtained' by it win) impunity. • The Spanish merchant cannot with :dignity dispose oldie consignments made.to Lim,.:but finding illicit trade carrieu on with imptinity, he is reduced to the necvs‘itv of _becoming a :*viid 'instrument in the frand4 and caprices .of others. To !WS unhappy source ought to be attributed the degradation of coin - melee,' the uncertainty of pikes, the vacillating stale of trade, the postilanimity - of merchants in under taking speculations, • their own debasement, and the draining of • the treasury, which, within the last year of free commerce, ' has been qUite unable to answer those demands whicti occasioned its esta blishment. . . . It is not "the,objed . of this paper to detail all the evils which smuggling has introduced among us. Wr shad confine ourselves - to state the situation in which our mercantile relations stand with those of Great Britain'. It was a matter of notoriety with the Government, that a great quantity of contraband goods was on board the ship Jane, andthey sent a competent guard to secure the 9Igo; it was exa4 mine& and its owner ascertained, in older that a jus dictal investigation should take place, anti the parties introducing it contrary to law sln.uld receive their m:-rited punishment. Scircelt• had the ship be .n seized, when"the English merchant, who was owner of .the cargo,, publicly confessed that it was illicit.- He repeated, the same confession before se veral Members of the Junta, aid to the extent of his property he o ff ered to make any sacrifice that would be accepted, to escape that punishment which threatened him. But fortunately we do nut live in a time when, impunity for offences can be obtained at fixed prices,' Ist the meantime the,.ship was taken to the Canal _ . de Balizas, where she was speedily unloaded; but while the same diligence wa, taking: place respett in4 am:ol,er . shp,', the Juliet, which was in similar • circumsttinces in th • morning of the - tith, one, of his Britannic Majesi)'s shins. of war hastened up to her, arid p .t a troop of English Marines on board of her, and hoisted a flag, as it w.: re, to retain. her with° t the con,ent of the Government; A .peopl , inspir.d with zeal a ,d enthifsiosin tor. their righ , s, eon d n,+t obst.rye his nidvemrat .with inditferetice, wt-i,h,t at first sight, pn,sessed the appearance of a public defiance. The agitation was gen rat., and the Government night nave been d in a difficulty of no easy reparation, but the,prudence with which it aked succeeded in stifling this misundersianthog •in its cradle.. The griglkli Cominander, R. Ram say, as called, b.,.tore'tne Junta, and a pacific, and patient diacu.sion terminated this transaction hap pily. He assured. t heti) that .his. only object in twisting tbc• national4l.ag in .the vessel was, , that, until the fin 4 41-Lision of Ihe Committee, she did not cease tä be .ti4®lish. .He acknoAledged the justice of our pretension, and, they accepted his generous ' offers in favour of the public, order,.. which Were, (bat ina,mucli.as was in his power he should prevent smuggling, and' re'store -the good faith and dignity of con.rueice. . • . A:delicate question• has. terminated happily, and special instreetions have been issued to prevent un pleasant mi:understandings in .future,. which, fre queetly arise from : too much zeal. on the part of in ferior Otficeis; but if,. unfortenately, an unforeseen combination should destroy the harmony „which is the base of the nOvisional Commerce, who will be answerable for the serious evils which must follow ? The rnerciant who sees the regular channel of com merce obstructed;- the Spanish merchant, who is deptiVed - of - lucrative consiguments; the • London merchant, who sees a suspension of thoscimporta lions on which he calculates important advantages; our planters, who see themselves reduced.to the former stagnation of expeits, all will. direct their imprecations agaiest the smuggler, who, for a sordid gain, :exposes to iri.eparahle risk the welfare of the State. The Junta have resolved to cut all these evils in their spring.. The honourable .trader shall hot be confounded with the . smuggle'r.; the jailer shall be prosecuted wilt the same energy with which the iormer will be protetlad, and to facili tate a final settlement, the Junta have ordered, that the signature of this Consignee shall not be received in the Custom -house, nor in the Royal Consulate, for any consignment or foreign negociation, until the filial iseue of the process, that the English Mer chant m y unteritatiti. that the violator of . ti a laws shall tIfiVC no par.icip.ation of that genervus . req . p• his granted with so much good ik wto .the 11. , ! i-lei able trietchants and subjects of the t)g.;. LLYTtit PROM 'tilt Jl3 rA TO _THE C^MMANDL►it OF MAJESTY'S SHIP MISL'ETOE. The wants of the Treasury have compelled the Got eminent to adopt extraordinary ,tneasures to snake the receipts sudicient to cover the heavy dis bursements indispensable for the preservation of the State. Among the different resoutces which pre sented themselves to accomplish this end, they have preferred a tree provisional commesce with . she English Nation, and they have repealed the laws. %filch prohibited • it, with the two-to 41 object of intrAucing such articles as will create an active cir• culation, and increase the ties which already unite the t nallunS. Fun this purpose a rule has been formed, and solemnly published, instructing na tional and foreign merchants in the invariable con 'duet which they ought to pursue, and intimating •he injury Which the contraband trader will cause to this establishment, as well as the precautions which will be taken to prevent it, and the punish ment which Will fall upon the offenders. Y ii know very well that as our security depends upon this, single resource, the character of an infamous delm-, quent must tall upon him who nuderniiiies the only means of our preservation ; and that if the Spanish merchant is false to his King, his Country, mini himself, as a clandestine trai!er, the English per chant who deals with him is equally talSe to the ho nour of his nation, to the 'duties of his piotession, and the gratitude due to a people who give a gener ous reception to every individual of his great station, who have before the whole world supported the great cause in which we are engaged. The condua of the English Government-towards the Monarchy of Spain, in its greatilst difficulties, is an eternal lesson to other nations.nf ► heconthience w i t h w hi c h an a lli a nce %via) Great Britain ought . to be received ; firm. and uniform in her principles, she bestows equal-care in preserving the integrity of the Spanish territory as in maintaining public order. But this security will be useless, it the most serious means are not taken to repress excesses; which will ruin the treasury, and are disgraceful to those whO commit them ; and w hen our ports are opcned to a tree importation of English merchandize, at is into . - lerable that the sordid interest of a few should break the bonds of decency, and excite an irritation, which in the end would_ subvert the foundation of our new system of couni:erce. In these circumstances the Junta have resolved to be inflexible in infliCting punishment, upon offen der. ; but at the same time, Considering that it is your duty to influence the sub:lei:ls of ,your Si,ve reign not to abuse a privilege, which ny regular and decent means ,they may, t;reelv cnjpy, and from whose atinse injury an f ruin falls upon the honour. able trader, who exactly conforms to the conditions imposed upoil him, we trust y u u will theretore, employ your authority and ,your zeal in preventing an excess so contrary to the dignity of our laws. It is a satisfiatun to the Junta to direa ibis letter to a Chief of such prudence, honour and credit, as yourself. The circurnstaoces which impel us to these measures . are very notorious, and the honour of the English nation is too 'delicate to leave room to suppose that her Officers would conspire to injure a people who resist all ties but those that result from good faith and the pratliceof the social virtues. The Junta depend upon your own, zeal upon, this point, and that at the same time you will instruct the Admiral and the Government of your nation of, what we wish to be done, that they may give effea to our just wishes where your. own power is insuf ficient. God preserveyou many years. To the Commander of his Britannic Majesty's Forces in the River Plata. LIEUTENANT RAMSAY, 01' THE M/SLETOE TO TUE - JUNTA OF BUENOS AGES. Permit me to call the attention of your Excellen cies to the annexed copy 0: a letter, addressed to me by rbeCommittue of the English Merchants esta blished in this city, folly convinced that the subject to which it relates will receive frOm your Excellen-. cies all the attention due to an affair, of so much itn; oortance to a liberal and enlightened :Government. The letter has been addresSed to me, and I believtt I cannot better promote the cause of the English Nierc - bants than by transmitting, to you a certthed copy of the t orrevondence of the Comtnittte. I have the honour to be, Your Excellencies' most obedient humble servant, R. RA MAY. • To the Excellent (mu, forming the Provisional Government of Buenos Ayres. • LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE, &C. TO LIEUTENANT RAMSAY . Buenos Ayres, July to, ►8 St n,—Our sentiments are entirely conformable, with those manifested by- you to the Provisional Junta, in reply to their letter on smuggling. We highly approve of the resolution which the Junta have taken to destroy a system as prejudicial to the revenues. of Governtdeut as to the interests 'of ho nourable Commerce. Much as we lament- that the has been any one of our countrymen who has conunenced such -a ; traffic, we cannot refrain trona. slating, tiiat the duties demanded by the Custom- El Quit!, on goods imported, are sometimes so s cry ex cessive, that _they pawcriully stimulate to the prac tice of smuggling, and we- are clearly of opinion, that were the Government to adopt a more equal sysiean of duties, it would prodUce the, happiest re sults, and it, would be • the most certain means of putting an end to a commerce which ought to be equally detested by the. merchants of both nations. To give a more comprehensive idea of the manlier . in which the duties are at present collected, permit us to state two examples which have occurred to some of the undersigned, and who are informed that they might cite rilany ' ol hers of the same nature. In the month of January last was imported in the ship Anna, from Liverpool, by one of. the under signed, cousi&led to D. Sentura Marco, a bail flunked T. B. No: 2, ciintaining . 46 dozens and a half . of cot tenstockings, the duties on which amount ed to 371) dollars, seven reals, which was about eight dollars a dozen: The stockings actually re main on hand, and cannot be sold, as the greatest price which has been offered for them does not ex ceed nine dollars per dozen. - The duties, although they are - nominally said to amount only to 33 and a 3d per cent. on the prime cost, have in this case ex ceeded a hundred per cent. In the month of De cember last, in the same manner was imported by one of the undersigned, a cargo of woolleu goods, in the Little Venus, flom Rio Janeiro, consigned to D. Jose Lizaur, which were classed by the Inspec tors as shalloons, and the duties on which amounted to about nine reals . per yard. A great part .ot these goods remains unsold, and the highest price, offered for many of them does not exceed right Teals per yard, that is to say, less than the amount of the duties, which, on goods of inferior qualtty, extend . from lin to . 100 r cent. As'the quantity of these kinds of merchandize is considerable, the duties amount to about ten thous sand dollars, the 'greater part of which is already out of the pockets of the proprietors, who have no chance of reimbursement by the sales. We Are of opinion, that if the Provisional Junta, which has already manifested its inclinations to libetal ideas of commerce,- reflect seriously on the •subject, it will convinced-that the only means of effectually sup. pressing the contraband trade, is at all .hazards to moderate and equalize the duties. When the res . stilt of importing goods, and passing them through the Custom-house, is. precisely fhe sacrifice of the property, it can scarce be hoped that there will not be found some individuals willing to run the double risk of losing their goods and reputation. -From the great variety and novelty of many of the goods s' bleb have been imported into this country, since the opens ing of the port, it may happen that the Officers - of the Custom-house, are on many occasions ignorant .of their value.. The exacting, however, of such exs cessive and arbitrary duties, is not only ruinous to individuals, but injurious to the Treasury. If you think fit to present a representation to the Pro visional Junta on this - subject, we intreat you to take advantage of that opperfunity to make known to that Government our gratitude for the fa vour and protection which it ha; been pleas ed to shew to the English trade, and to give an assurance that the tnost reApeciable part of t.ie Eng-. lish Merchants residing here will always be 'ready to submit to the judicious regulations which its wis dom may think fit to adopt. We have the honour to be, &c. ALEX. MACTUMON, ROBERT STA rf. FRANCIS CEVELET, CALLETON ASUOFFI, JOHN Ht.'s. bAIEDLEY. REPLY OF THE lUNTA, The Junta having received .the representation of the English' Merchants recommended by yoti, has directed that the accomplishment of its cousi4ration should be secured by the different Ministers, whose business it is to investiga , e tt:e subject. The %lonia will hasten their proceedings, and in the mean time as!atte you that they Is ill embrace every means which the advantages of commerce, the interests of the Treasury and the respect tar the laws may combine. • CORNELO SAAVEDRA, Dr. MARIANO MOUENO, SEC. Buenos, Ayres, July 13, 1810. GLUTTONY.—A farmer of Laytonstone lately bested a wager with a neighbour, that he would eat h couple 0( ducks, which he did in a very short time. Not satisfied with.that bet,. he would have a r um p steak, a neck of lamb, %eget:3l)les, cheese, Sec. with ale, &c. and afterwards drank three bottles oi. w i ne , I%.ro.glasSes of brandy, smoked his pipe, and walked home sober. . The nims of the conSprzc.... rf which some intelligence yesterday, atid the arrests, are coofirmel in their fullemt extent• following letter on this 'fearful su bied is ft °n-la : , otiictr in our army, which will l e f o u n d to many particulars: 415 ( LISBON, SETT t 5, 6. P. heard that the 13,i Wish packet closes at eight o'cl ° . c o l only gives me time to acqti a int y ou o f our 001 . hereon the 29th ult. from the Isle de Leon, w illc't, place we left at twelve houre_ncatice. 01 ne ° ., can give you but little. By a, l e tte r I received )e ' . - terday, dated from Gallaciaz, 1 Ith inst. the e lle T to ) were pushing on their colum ns towards Caste • Bianco, the British falling back to their strong [l to ts at Tomar, and Villa Franca, to c over Li s bon, 0 ' 1 1 : prevent bein out-flanked. Lord V,rellingtoll at Gouvea, sr A plot a Most sanguinary nature bas just been found out. Above one hundred most rest"'` . table inhabitants have been apprehended,- them the Marquis Abrant es . - 'On the 290 of ti Le month a .general massacre of the British was to ha y taken place., The conspiracy extends. throug hout the country ; at Toma r , C o i m b ra , an d ot her tell v io o in the interior, depots of arinS have been found. j Consequence of the number of pris o n e r s confined, " tin eu r l e , .have just learnt, from goo - authority, that the „. gency expect a rescu e , an d w hi c h was to h a ve f 3 t i place or may take plac e thi s n i g h t . I t was arrang e iri. this manner day the Cathedral, it be l t the anniversary of the expul s i on o f t h e F re nch 1101 c. Lisbon, turned out a g ran d p roce , s i un o f P r iests, 6 ' This evening they. ar e to go roun d aga i n .- Ab °u • 6qo of the rebelswere to be cloth e d i n British 1- 111 . 1 ; forms, and-Whiah h ave thi s day been found; Priests were to _be .. fi re d o n, in .orJer to. make the populace imaginethat • it was by the. British soldier s i j others were-to cut-off .as' many of us as they co t u find, and others to r e l ease t h e pr i soners con fined a small insulated .f ort near 13eletn. In order t o " on ottr guard, offic ers are or d ere d up to the ca stle ' where our men a re quarter ed, from their billet s town. The business of the rescaie must either place to night or in-morrow, as those prisoners 3 r; to be embarked f o r B raz il on Monday. It i 5 10 most vile conspira c y : a P o rt uguese l ady, ma rried a French General, wade the happy discovery. The following extraet of another letter is ch' fly interesting, as , centaiuing the, names of soul . '" - the conspirators :-- LISBON, SEPT. 1 Several arrests have t ake r e place here during the wee k, a nd many o f t h e ae °l3 _, arrested, it is said, are to be sent off in a Portog v° , frigate. Among them are Van Delci Rattan, se ll ' s ,. Cambiaso, Morclaunt, Marchioness Alvito, Se b3 l ,, fiat), Joze de Saldantra, Dufoutco, Judge Masc, r. o f has, and also some Members of . the nob;e tan - }l ie Count Sampayo, Jeronimo, E,teves, C. aj o ' , Diogo Pereira, Neto Mascarenhas, and Co'- 114 •lliebeiro, also appear to be anon "the ;arrested; w'" 6 . sides several Lawy ers , Friars, &c. Guverntnent are very secret, and have not soffered.the plans they ii ‘ t O made to transpir e ; but tio dotmt . some schetu e . favour of the enemy was in contemplation, W hit/ we trust, this discovery will frustrate." • Another account states, that the number of 1 , ~, sons arrested amounted to t wo h un d re d ; that O t ': were taken in the hous e s wh e r e t h e y wer e delihe' At Mg, and innn e diat e ly sept off; that live thou s ' rd stand of arias belouging to them had been disc °“ l t s ed, together with an invitation to Masseua, k 11) 1,„ proclamation to the pe o pl e t o r i se i n f avo ur of 'French. Letters have been received from Ali ca nt to ° o i l . 23d of August. The following is an extra' one : t. " The head-quarters of the army w hi c h wel .e Murcia are to be transferred to'Lurja. 00 1 Y ,regiment (the militia of Glincilla,) forms Iht gae.; risen of this place, and that. is eXpe6t e d 10 11127 , - , every hour, when the garrison duty w ill b e pert° l. ft ed by the militia Uroano. General Cary, ha s ot Valencia for the field; he is ordered to Catliz , " a is unwilling to go there. Basseco ur t h as succeN le Caro .in. the coinmand of the Valencian O'Donnell now commands all the forces of Ciit a l o i nia, Arragon, and. Valencia. H e wa i ts the arr iv es of the.Valencian army to strike a fatal-blow.agaill the annoyers 'of Tortosa." BIRTHS. M i s. On - the zist ult. at IZossie C a stle, N o rth Britain, ‘Villiarn Elliot of a l),aughter. ' . cf , On Nloitcl4 ia.it,,Mrs. W: Pearson, of Tavistock-sq ua of a Son. ' r —. MAR R Lod' On the rsth of fanuary, at Bombay, Captain John —„, low, of the 6th Regiment 'of Bengal Natty:. I n f a ntry', 7 1 '.:1, Commanding Officer of the Provincial •Battalion, Hurd n, to Miss Maria Brown, eldest daughter of Mardock Dr" Esq. of Callicut. nit On the inst. the Rnr. W. F. to Sara('. ° daughter of the late Stephen Hawtrey, Esq. of Exeter.. III ,: The same day, at Chatham, Lieutenant _fears, Royal Navy, to Miss Eleanor Maddock, daughter of liain Atari:lock, Esq. of Sheerness I.:.ent. Esel Y - esterday, at St. Pancras ChurA, Thomas Hunter , ' of Ilanimetsmith ' to Frances.Cliarlotte Ailraham, You'l';:y• daughter of lolinAbrallatn, Esq. ut Howland-stieet , roy-square. Wafr The same day, at St. lames's Church, Sir George • render, Bart. to the Hon. Anne .Itoseawer,, youngest d'" ter of the late Viscount Falmouth. • On Sunday last, at the liou:e of the lion. C. A. Diu" , • Alexander Seton, Bart. of the Hun. Company's Civil Scr vice. ' elegy ,, On Tuesday morning, at his house in Upper MIR t b ‘ street. aged 73, the Rev. Ralph Carr, of Cockers, in t e County ut Durham, and grandtather.of Sir Charles CO(' Eatt. Yesterday morning, at his house at Kentish Town,. 11°- mas Greenwood, Esq. jp A few days since, William Darnell, Esq. of Weston , Huntingdonshire. COAL. MARKET, Oclosvß 3. Ships at Market. Ships sold. Price. i Newcastle . . . 74 . 455. 0 ;1. to 6os. ° ( ‘l ' i IVel.::h . . . . o . —s. od. to ° I' ti lf. 1 0 'LEST Bonk Stockohut. • . Nay) s per Cent. 98i Irish 5 per (.4nt. 4 per Cent'; 'Shut per Cent. Red. shut 3 per Ct. Cons. 65 if II 'Bank L. Ann. shut S . l OCA RDAY. India Stock, 175 India Bonds, 9 s . ►is. Pr:, Exclieq. Bills, 4s. Is. Oninium, 7 6 Imperial .3 per Cent. Bank for Opening, 254, Cons. for izth inst. 65z" REPLY or LIEUT. RAMSAY. I have received a letter from your Excellency of the flth inst. wherein you state the motives which induced you to open this port to British commerce, under certain conditions ,and regulations } which are o serve as a guide to ,native and foreign traders in their negoci.stion4, as well as the resoluti , n which the Government have taken to give effed to such penalties as are annexed to those conditions, ac cold;ng to the laws of the country against smug gling, and desiring me at the same time to use the influence which I possess in supporting the views of the Government to abolish illicit commerce, and 'hereby render a service to a country who treats with so much hospitality subjects of ,his Britannic Majesty, who are engaged in mercantile specula tions in these provinces. In answer to all which I ought to inform your Excellency, that .I have carefully perused, it, and communicated its contents to the Engl i sh merchants who reside in this city, and that the principals of them, together with myselG are entirely of opinion that the ideas which the Government express are just, proper, and ought to .be carried into etfed but I hope that it will be done wit h this considera tion for the security and the liberty of the subjects of his Britannic Majesty, and the protection of the property of these merchants who wish to conform to-the. laws of the country, and the commercial re gulations which have been adopted, and act accord ing to the sentiments which your Excellency ex presses of reciprocal good faith, and the practice of the social virtues. At the same time I ought to make known to your Excellency, that hitherto only a ,mall part of that hospitality to which you allude has been given on the part of the Government to the English Merchants, and that although their situation has been some what ameliorated; there still exist certain or ders which encourage smuggling in . a much gre,iter degree tha❑ your Excellency appears to be aware of, and which I, will communicate to your Excel lency the moment I can attain the necessary do cuments... On my own part, I will exerciseall‘the authority I possess to give effect to .the plan which your Ex= ceilency proposes, that is,--the benefit of the Ito nourable .merchant, and the legitiinate :commerce of my .tellow,:countrytnen,. who daily ekteetn more and more: theTrelations which unite us. to our re spedive.:Goves cements, I have the honour to be, &c. ;, 4 ::,1 ; oN . 1 . p r i nte d 14,,j(1 (211 A RIS Or No. 4; Martitqt,...coJrt, !.iow-strect ; and. Pt:bin:bed by WI LLI AM A Rll4l (; Elt Sc RIPPS, South Molton street, Gterrenor A vv re . • ,Itic - SUk • No, 1 p.);:Stravd, wbere,,ldvef tisemerits, Orders for the Pcper,..Llttersior the Edi!or (post-poia), Must b..: addresiecl. • 1